SPEECHES 


OP 


HOI.  JOSEPH  LANE,  OF  OREGON, 


AND 


ION.  ISAAC  I.  STEVENS,  OF  WASHINGTON, 


ON  THE  PAYMENT  OF  THE 


)REGON  AND  WASHINGTON  INDIAN  WAR  DEBT. 


DELIVERED  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  EEPEESENTATIVE3,  MAY  18,  1858, 


BY  LEMUEL  TOWERS* 
190* 


(-35-41 


t  Lil 
SPEECH 


OF 


HON.  JOSEPH  LAM,  OF  OREGON, 

ON  THE  PAYMENT  OF 

THE  OREGON  AND  WASHINGTON  INDIAN  WAR  DEBT. 


DELIVERED  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  MAY  13,  1858. 


The  House  being  ia  Committee  of  the  Whole  on  Territorial  business, 
Hon.  WM>  H.  ENGLISH  in  the  Chair,  and  having  under  consideration  a  bill 
(H.  R.  No.  566)  to  refund  to  James  Douglass,  Governor  of  Vancouver's 
Island,  the  sum  of  $7,000  advanced  by  him  to  supply  the  volunteers  of 
Washington  Territory  with  clothing  and  blankets  during  the  late  Indian 
war  in  that  Territory. 

The  bill  directs  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  out  of  any  money  in  the 
treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated,  to  pay  to  James  Douglass,  Governor 
of  Vancouver's  Island,  $7,000,  it  being  so  much  money  advanced  by  him 
to  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company  in  payment  of  clothing  and  blankets  fur 
nished  by  the  company  to  the  volunteers  of  Washington  Territory  in  1855, 
upon  the  order  of  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  Governor  of  the  Territory  of  Washing 
ton,  and  upon  a  guarantee  for  the  payment  of  the  same  by  Douglass,  and 
for  which  sum  Isaac  I.  Stevens,  as  Governor,  has  executed  his  certificate  of 
debt,  payable  when  an  appropriation  should  be  made  by  Congress. 

Mr.  LANE.  I  move  to  amend  the  bill  by  adding  the  following  as  addi 
tional  sections  of  the  bill : 

And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  there  be,  and  hereby  is,  appropriated  out  of  any 
money  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated,  whatever  amount  may  be  neces 
sary  to  enable  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  to  defray  the  expenses  necessarily  in 
curred  by  the  territorial  governments  of  Oregon  and  Washington  in  the  suppression 
of  Indian  hostilities  therein  in  the  years  1855  and  1856,  so  far  as  the  claims  growing 
out  of  said  war  have  been  adjudicated  by  the  commissioners  appointed  for  that  pur 
pose,  agreeably  to  the  provisions  of  the  eleventh  section  of  the  act  of  the  18th  Au 
gust,  1856,  entitled  "An  act  making  appropriations  for  certain  civil  expenses  of  the 
Government,  for  the  year  ending  SUth  June,  1857,"  and  have  been  reported  to  the 
War  Department,  by  said  commissioners,  for  payment. 

And  be  it  further  enacted,  That  the  amounts  severally  found  due  to  the  parties 
contained  in  the  report  of  the  said  commissioners  shall  be  paid  to  the  said  parties 
respectively,  or  their  legal  representatives,  or  to  the  assignees  or  attorneys,  duly 
constituted  and  appointed, 'of  said  parties,  anything  in  the  act  approved  July  29, 
1846,  or  in  the  act  of  February,  1853,  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

Mr.  WASHBURNB,  of  Illinois.  I  rise  to  a  question  of  order.  The  amend 
ment  is  a  general  bill,  and  'is  not  in  order  to  a  private  bill.  There  is  a 
rule  of  the  House  which  expressly  provides  that  no  bill  shall  be  amended 
by  a  rider  in  this  way. 


Mr.  LANE.  If  the  gentleman  -will  hear  me  he  will  not  contend  that  this 
amendment  is  not  strictly  in  order.  The  object  of  this  bill  is  to  provide 
for  paying  Governor  Douglass  for  certain  expenses  incurred  in  the  Indian 
•war  in  Washington  Territory.  I  am  speaking  to  the  question  of  order. 
The  claim  which  Mr.  Douglass  has  is  for  supplies  furnished  the  troops  who 
were  acting  against  the  Indians  in  the  years  1855  and  1856.  The  expenses 
growing  out  of  that  war  have  been  properly  and  legally  adjudicated. 
This  claim  of  Governor  Douglass  has  been  passed  upon  with  all  the  other 
claims  growing  out  of  the  war;  but  this  is  the  only  item  for  which  pro 
vision  is  made.  The  amendment  which  I  offer  is  for  the  same  purpose 
precisely. 

Mr.  WASHBURNE,  of  Illinois.  I  desire  to  hear  my  friend  on  the  point  of 
order ;  not  on  the  merits  of  the  case. 

Mr.  LANE.  I  am  showing  that  this  is  one  item  of  a  series  of  claims 
growing  out  of  this  war,  and  that  these  claims  have  been  adjudicated  by  a 
board  of  commissioners.  The  amendment  is  in  relation  to  the  same  sub* 
ject-matter  as  the  original  bill. 

Mr.  KUNKEL,  of  Pennsylvania.  I  would  like  to  suggest  to  the  gentle 
man  from  Oregon,  and  to  the  Chair,  that  the  explanation  of  the  gentleman 
does  not  bring  the  amendment  within  the  rule.  The  one  is  a  private  billy 
and  the  other  is  a  general  bill ;  and  although  both  may  relate  to  the  same 
subject-matter,  the  amendment,  nevertheless,  is  out  of  order. 

Mr.  LANE.  This  bill  is  one  item  of  the  expenses  of  that  war.  There 
are  probably  five  or  six  thousand  claims  growing  out  of  the  same  war;  and 
I  want  to  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  to  the  law  of  Congress  under 
which  these  claims  have  been  recognized : 

"That  the  Secretary  of  War  be  directed  to  examine  into  tlie  amount  of  expenses 
necessarily  incurred  in  the  suppression  of  Indian  hostilities  in  the  late  Indian  war  in 
Oregon  .and  Washington,  by  the  territorial  governments  of  said  Territories,  for  the 
maintenance  of  the  volunteer  forces  engaged  in  said  war,  including  pay  of  volun 
teers;  and  that  he  may,  if  in  his  judgment  it  be  necessary,  direct  a,  commission  of 
three  to  proceed  to  ascertain  and  report  to  him  all  expenses  incurred  for  purpose? 
above  specified." 

Now,  Mr.  Chairman,  under  the  provision  of  that  law,  the  Secretary  of 
War  appointed  a  commission  of  three  persons  to  assemble  in  the  Territories 
of  Oregon  and  Washington,  and  ascertain  the  expenses  necessarily  incurred. 
Congress  made  an  appropriation  of  §12,000  to  defray  the  expenses  of  that 
commission.  It  was  constituted  of  two  army  officers  and  one  citizen.  It 
assembled  at  Fort  Vancouver,  and  was  in  session  twelve  mon-ths, 

Mr.  KUNKEL,  of  Pennsylvania.  There  is  a  question  of  order  peading.  I 
ask  that  it  be  decided. 

The  CHAIRMAN.  The  gentleman  from  Oregon  has  a  rigfet  to  appeal,  and 
to  debate  the  appeal. 

Mr.  KUNKEL,  of  Pennsylvania.    Is  he  debating  the  appeal  ? 

The  CHAIRMAN.  The  Chair  is  aot  able  to  tell  what  application  the  gen 
tleman  from  Oregon  proposes  to  make  of  his  remarks. 

Mr.  KUNKEL,  of  Pennsylvania.  There  was  no  appeal  taken- ;  &  is  simply 
a  question  of  order. 

Mr.  GREENWOOD.  The  gentleman  from  Oregon  has  a  right  to  discust 
the  question  of  order,  debate  not  being  closed  on  the  bill. 


The  CHAIRMAN.  The  Chair  is  not  without  doubt  as  to  whether  this 
amendment  is  in  order,  but  he  is  under  the  impression  that  it  is  not  in  or 
der.  The  bill  itself  is  a  private  bill,  for  the  relief  of  James  Douglass. 
The  amendment  proposed  by  the  gentleman  from  Oregon  seems  to  be  a 
general,  bill  applicable  to  a  whole  class  of  cases.  The  impression  of  the 
Chair  is  that  the  amendment  is  not  in  order,  and  the  Chair  so  rules. 

Mr.  LETCHER.  Has  not  the  gentleman  from  Oregon  a  right  to  speak 
on  the  original  bill  ? 

The  CHAIRMAN.     He  has. 

Mr.LANE.  I  want  to  show  how  this  bill  for  the  relief  of  Mr.  Douglas 
comes  up  here,  and  I  desire  to  call  the  attention  of  the  committee  now  to 
the  report  of  the  Secretary  of  War  on  this  subject.  The  Secretary  of  War 
examined  the  report  of  this  commission,  and  says  as  follows: 

"By  a  law  passed  the  18th  day  of  August,  1856,  a  commission  was  directed  to  be 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  sum  of  money  fairly  due  to  the  volun 
teers  of  Oregon  and  Washington  Territories  for  their  services  in  the  Indian  wars 
which  threatened  to  lay  waste  those  Territories.  In  compliance  with  this  law, 
Captain  Smith,  of  the  first  dragoons,  Captain  Rufus  Ingalls,  of  the  quartermaster's 
department,  and  La  Fayette  Grover,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  Oregon,  were  appointed  to  ex 
amine  the  accounts  and  claims,  and  to  make  a  report  in  conformity  with  the  law, 
and  upon  the  facts  as  they  existed,  so  far,  at  least,  as  it  was  possible  to  ascertain 
them. 

"These  officers  entered  upon  their  duties  on  the  10th  day  of  October,  1856,  and 
seem  to  have  labored  with  great  assiduity  and  patience  in  discharge  of  them,  until 
the  20th  of  October  last,  when  they  were  brought  to  a  close.  I  have  examined  this 
report  very  carefully,  and  conclude  that,  from  the  data  they  have  adopted  for  their 
guide,  as  to  the  prices  for  stores  and  subsistence,  and  time  of  service  rendered  by 
the  men,  it  is  not  probable  a  moz-e  just  or  accurate  result  could  be  attained  than 
these  gentlemen  have  arrived  at.  The  amount  ascertained  to  be  due  is  a  very  large 
one,  and  Congress  will  have  to  make  provision  for  its  payment,  if  it  is  intended  they 
shall  be  liquidated,  of  which  I  presume  there  can  be  no  doubt." 

Now,  out  of  these  claims  adjudicated  by  this  commission,  we  find  due  to 
Governor  Douglass  $7,000,  and  various  other  sums  to  various  other  indi 
viduals,  who  had  rendered  services  and  furnished  supplies  and  transporta 
tion  for  the  subsistence  of  the  troops  in  the  field— the  whole  amount 
reaching  to  between  five  and  six  million  dollars*  These  expenses  were  all 
necessarily  incurred,  and  the  bill  to  pay  Governor  Douglass  is  right  and 
just.  But  it  is  not  more  right  and  not  more  just  than  every  other  portion 
of  these  claims  allowed  by  this  commission.  And  why  Governor  Doug 
lass  should  be  singled  out  from  the  lot  who  have  incurred  expenses  in 
defending  the  country  against  Indian  hostilities,  and  the  balance  not  men 
tioned,  is  a  matter  which  I  do  not  understand.  But,  be  that  as  it  may,  I 
will  let  that  matter  rest  with  the  committee  who  has  charge  of  it.  I  have 
great  confidence  in  that  committee.  I  believe  it  will  ultimately  report  in 
favor  of  paying  all  the  expenses.  But  now  is  the  proper  time  to  do  it — 
now  is  the  time  when  this  committee  and  this  Congress  should  pass  such  a 
law  as  will  provide  for  the  payment  of  all  the  claims  found  due  by  that 
commission. 

Now,  sir,  I  think  every  gentleman  here  knows,  (and  I  believe  no  gentle 
man  will  undertake  to  gainsay  the  fact,)  that  when  the  people  of  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territories  were  plunged  into  an  Indian  war,  it  was  not  by 
their  own  act,  but  by  a  combination  of  Indians,  made  so  completely  that 
they  were  able  to  commence  hostilities  at  the  extremes  of  each  of  those 
Territories  on  the  same  day.  The  progress  of  that  war  was  so  rapid,  and 


6 

the  scenes  so  bloody  and  terrible,  that  for  a  short  time  it  was  a  matter  of 
uncertainty  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  these  Territories  whether  the 
Indians  would  not  be  able  to  destroy  the  entire  settlements  of  the  two  Ter 
ritories. 

In  order  that  the  committee  may  understand  more  fully  the  facts  of  the 
case,  I  call  attention  to  the  report  of  the  special  agent  sent  out  there  by 
the  Government  to  inquire  into  the  circumstances  of  the  war,  and  into  the 
action  of  that  commission  while  it  was  in  session. 

Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne,  that  special  agent,  spent  months  in  the  country, 
visited  many  of  the  Indian  tribes,  talked  with  them,  saw  the  farmers  on 
their  plantations  and  at  their  homes,  without  letting  the  people  there  know 
the  purpose  for  which  he  was  among  them.  He  dropped  in,  at  Vancouver, 
on  the  commissioners,  while  they  were  adjusting  this  very  claim  of  Mr. 
Douglass,  and  he  saw  the  manner  in  which  they  discharged  their  duty. 

Mr.  SMITH,  of  Virginia.  I  beg  to  remind  the  gentleman  that  this  is  the 
last  day  for  territorial  business. 

Mr.  LANE.     I  am  aware  of  that. 

Mr.  SMITH,  of  Virginia.  This  bill  is  cutting  out  other  territorial  busi 
ness. 

Mr.  LANE.  No,  sir ;  I  am  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  cut  off  any  of 
the  territorial  business.  This  is  the  last  bill  but  one  or  two  upon  the  cal 
endar. 

I  will  now  read  a  portion  of  Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne's  report.     He  says : 

"  I  will  not  undertake  to  follow  up  the  history  of  the  war  to  a  later  period.  Its 
peculiar  features  have  been  represented  officially  on  both  sides,  and  its  progress  and 
termination  are  matters  of  public  record. 

"Upon  a  careful  perusal  of  all  the  dispatches,  I  find  nothing  to  sustain  the  charge 
of  speculation.  No  person  can  visit  the  Territories  of  Oregon  and  Washington, 
converse  with  the  people,  see  them  on  their  farms  and  at  their  daily  labors,  and 
consider  their  true  interests,  without  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  such  a  charge  is 
•  absurd  and  monstrous.  What  could  they  hope  to  gain  ?  Few  of  them  had  anything 
to  spare  upon  which  to  base  a  speculation.  A  farmer  is  well  off  who  has  his  fields 
fenced  in,  a  few  head  of  oxen,  and  three  or  four  cows.  If  he  got  treble  price  for  his 
stock,  the  sale,  upon  an  xmlimited  credit,  would  have  been  a  sacrifice  to  him.  His 
farm  must  go  to  ruin.  The  interests  of  the  settlers,  of  nearly  every  pursuit,  are 
nearly  identical.  Their  future  prospects  depend  chiefly  upon  the  prosperity  of  the 
country,  the  increase  of  emigration,  enhancement  in  the  value  of  property,  security 
of  life,  opening  of  new  facilities  for  the  transportation  of  their  products.  All  this 
was  diametrically  opposed  to  a  war.  No  compensation  that  Government  could 
make  would  atone  for  the  murder  of  families,  the  stoppage  of  labor  everywhere^  the 
loss  of  time,  the  suspension  of  emigration,  and  the  numerous  evils  resulting  from  this 
disastrous  conflict. 

"The  commissioners  at  Vancouver  have  faithfully  and  impartially  performed  their 
duty.  Whatever  sum  they  may  have  decided  upon  in  estimating  this  war  debt,  I 
hold  that  amount  to  be  justly  due,  and  trust  that  Congress  will  at  once  provide  for 
its  extinguishment." 

That  is  signed  by  J.  Ross  Browne,  special  agent  of  the  Government,  sent 
out  there  by  the  order  of  the  President,  at  the  instance  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Interior,  to  examine  into  the  facts  connected  with  the  war ;  to  ascertain 
the  causes  of  the  war ;  th*e  manner  of  the  conduct  of  the  war ;  and  the 
extent  of  the  expenses  incurred  in  it.  And,  after  a  careful  and  impartial 
examination  of  the  whole  matter,  he  came  to  the  conclusion  which  I  have 
just  read.  His  whole  report  shows  that  the  people  of  Oregon  and  Wash 
ington  were  driven  into  a  bloody  war,  unavoidably  on  their  part,  that 
threatened  to  lay  waste  the  whole  country,  and  wipe  out  all  the  settlements. 


And  I .  hazard  nothing  in  saying  that  no  portion  of  the  American  people 
has  suffered  so  much  in  any  Indian  wars  since  our  fathers  landed  on  the 
American  shores,  as  did  the  people  of  those  Territories  in  that  war. 
Gentlemen  will  remember  that,  during  the  progress  of  the  war  I  was  here 
attending  to  my  duties ;  but  during  the  last  summer,  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  traveling  over  the  whole  southern  portion  of  Oregon,  and  of  examining 
in  person  the  extent  of  the  Indian  depredations.  I  found  that  every  house 
for  fifty  miles  on  a  road  through  a  well-settled  country  had  been  laid  in 
ashes.  The  houses  and  barns  had  been  burned,  and  every  man,  woman, 
and  child  killed  in  the  most  cruel  and  barbarous  manner,  with  the  ex 
ception  of  one  man,  one  woman,  and  one  child. 

At  the  time  these  depredations  were  committed  by  the  Indians,  there 
were  large  numbers  of  wagons,  loaded  with  the  produce  of  Oregon  and 
Washington,  traveling  over  that  road  to  seek  a  market  in  California.  They 
were  met  by  the  Indians,  and  every  man  and  every  animal  was  killed,  and 
the  wagons  were  burned.  The  mangled  and  mutilated  remains  of  the  men 
were  taken  up  and  buried,  but  the  wayside  was  strewn  for  fifty  miles  with 
the  bones  of  the  animals.  In  a  conversation  I  had  with  the  Indians,  in 
the  presence  of  their  agent,  in  relation  to  it,  their  great  war  chief,  John, 
told  me  that  he  had  labored  for  months  to  bring  about  a  combination  of 
all  the  tribes,  so  that  they  might  commence  the  war  at  the  same  time,  and 
destroy  the  entire  settlements  in  both  Territories ;  and  so  complete  was 
their  plan  of  organization,  so  complete  was  the  combination,  that,  as  I  said 
in  the  opening  of  my  remarks,  they  commenced  the  war  at  Puget  sound 
on  the  same  day  of  the  month  that  they  commenced  it  in  the  southern 
portion  of  Oregon  Territory,  six  hundred  miles  distant ;  and  the  chief  told 
me  that  he  had  labored  hard  to  bring  about  the  combination,  and  had 
sent  his  sons  and  his  son-in-law  to  the  Indians,  in  different  portions  of  the 
country,  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  combination  and  securing  that  con 
cert  of  action  which  would  enable  him  to  carry  out  his  purpose.  He  com 
menced  his  depredations  in  Oregon  and  Washington,  as  you  will  find  by 
these  reports,  a  month  before  the  general  hostilities  broke  out.  Finally,  he 
became  uneasy  himself,  after  killing  a  great  many  of  our  people,  about  his 
capacity  to  bring  about  a  general  war.  He  began  to  think  that  the  whites 
would  not  resent  the  outrages  and  murders  which  he  had  committed,  and 
that  he  could  not  bring  about  a  general  war.  He  went  to  the  agent,  after 
killing  eighteen  of  our  people  at  one  time,  and  two  men  and  a  little  boy 
shortly  afterwards,  and  said  to  him :  "  What  kind  of  warriors  have  you  ? 
They  have  no  hearts ;  they  are  like  squaws ;  T£g  have  killed  your  people 
(mentioning  the  places  where  they  had  been  murdered)  and  yet  no  notice 
is  taken  of  it ;  there  is  no  war." 

Well,  on  the  9th  of  October,  the  Indians  passed  along  the  road  to  which 
I  have  referred,  and  destroyed  every  particle  of  property  for  fifty  miles. 
They  then  rushed  into  the  settlements  and  burned  houses  and  barns,  killed 
hundreds  of  our  cattle  and  many  of  our  people.  We  are  not  here  asking 
pay  for  these  depredations.  We  have  not  asked  a  dollar  of  the  Govern 
ment  for  these  spoliations.  We  only  ask  the  Government  to  pay  the  troops 
who  were  forced  into  the  service  to  defend  the  settlements  against  those 
outrages,  and  who,  I  may  well  say,  suffered  more  in  the  field  than  any 
troops  who  have  ever  been  engaged  in  any  war  in  this  country.  My  friend 
who  represents  the  Territory  of  Washington  will  tell  you  that  he  fell  in 
with  a  body  of  our  troops  in  the  mountains,  east  of  the  Columbia  river, 
where  they  had  been  for  weeks  without  tents,  although  the  thermometer 


8 

stood  at  twenty-five  degrees  below  zero  a  greater  part  of  the  time.  They 
had  thrown  themselves  between  the  settlements  and  the  hostile  Indians,  and 
had  subsisted  upon  horse-flesh,  without  bread,  coffee,  or  salt,  for  weeks. 

Mr.  MAYNARD.  I  would  inquire  of  the  gentleman  what  amount  of  money 
will  probably  be  necessary  to  supply  the  demands  under  his  amendment? 

Mr.  LANE.  I  want  to  say  to  my  friend  that  the  whole  of  the  elaim 
rendered,  including  compensation  for  service  and  expenses  incurred,  as 
settled  by  the  commissioners  under  this  law,  amounts  to  between  five  and 
six  million  dollars.  It  is  just;  and  I  have  no  doubt  Congress  will  pay  it. 

Mr.  STANTON.  I  wish  to  inquire  of  the  gentleman  what  amount  per 
day  was  allowed  for  the  volunteers  who  served  in  that  war  ? 

Mr.  LANE.  I  will  answer  the  gentleman  with  a  great  deal  of  pleasure, 
though  I  am  not  going  on  to  discuss  this  matter  in  detail.  The  price 
allowed  by  these  commissioners  was  two  dollars  for  each  day's  service  for 
each  man,  and  two  dollars  in  addition  if  he  rode  his  own  horse,  'making 
four  dollars  per  day  for  a  man  and  horse.  I  will  say,  further,  that  if  the 
gentleman  will  look  over  the  letter  of  Colonel  McMullin,  now  Governor  of 
the  Territory  of  Washington,  a  gentleman  who  stood  in  this  House  and 
watched  the  treasury  as  carefully  as  any  man  did — I  say,  if  the  gentleman 
will  read  that  letter,  he  will  find  that  Governor  McMullin  states  that  you 
cannot  obtain  the  labor  of  a  man  short  of  $2  50  per  day,  and  that  even 
women  get  thirty  dollars  per  month.  And  I  will  say  that  no  man  can 
obtain  labor  for  any  such  price  as  these  commissioners  allowed  to  these 
volunteers. 

I  will  say  further,  that  no  man  can  tell  the  sufferings  which  these  volun 
teers  underwent.  Take,  for  instance,  the  conduct  of  the  Polk  county 
volunteers,  who,  in  response  to  a  requisition  of  the  Governor  of  the  Terri 
tory,  marched  to  relieve  Major  Haller,  who  was  surrounded  by  hostile  In 
dians.  The  requisition  reached  them  on  Monday  evening,  and,  on  the 
next  morning,  one  hundred  and  two  men  were  in  the  saddle,  and  on  the 
march  to  relieve  this  gallant  officer  and  his  little  band  of  brave  soldiers, 
who  had  been  for  some  time  surrounded  by  vastly  superior  numbers  of 
blood-thirsty  savages.  Out  of  the  one  humdred  and  two  Polk  county  men 
whom  Major  Armstrong  marched  to  the  relief  of  Major  Haller,  many  never 
returned  home,  and  many  came  back  with  fingers  and  toes  frozen,  maimed 
and  crippled  for  life.  Such  was  the  conduct  and  suffering  of  other  volun 
teer  companies  who  responded  to  the  call  of  our  Governor.  Thus  did  the 
people  of  Oregon  rust^to  the  rescue,  not  only  of  the  settlements, 
but  of  the  United  States  troops,  surrounded  by  overwhelming  num 
bers  of  hostile  Indians.  Not  a  dollar  have  they  asked  for  spoliations ; 
and  the  amount  which  the  commissioners  have  allowed  for  the  services  of 
the  volunteers,  and  the  expenses  incurred  by  them,  will  you  refuse  to  pay  ? 
Major  Armstrong  has  frequently  informed  me  that  his  company  was  com 
posed  of  farmers,  most  of  whom  had  families,  and  were  not  only  comfort 
able,  but  were  worth,  on  an  average,  five  thousand  dollars.  The  gallant 
Captains  Hembree  and  Bennett,  and  other  officers,  were  among  the  number 
that  never  returned.  Their  families  and  friends  were  left  to  mourn  their 
loss. 

But,  Mr.  Chairman,  to  proceed  with  the  horrors  of  this  war.  While  in 
Oregon  last  summer,  I  took  occasion  to  inquire  of  the  chief,  who  was 
mainly  instrumental  in  getting  up  this  war,  to  learn  the  particulars  of  the 
fate  of  some  of  our  people  who  disappeared  in  that  war  of  1855,  and  of 


whom  we  had  been  able  to  learn  nothing.  When  I  suggested  to  the  agent, 
in  the  council,  that  I  proposed  to  inquire  the  fate  of  Mrs.  Wagner,  Mrs. 
Haynes,  and  others,  he  was  inclined  to  think  that  it  would  raise  the  bitter 
feelings  of  the  Indians,  but  said  that  we  could  make  the  inquiry.  I  told 
him  that  I  had  passed  through  the  country  where  these  people  had  lived, 
and  that  their  friends  were  very  anxious  to  learn  their  fate.  We  inquired 
in  relation  to  Mrs.  Wagner,  who  was  a  well  educated  and  handsome  woman 
from  New  York,  who  had  lived  long  in  the  country,  and  spoke  the  Indian 
tongue  fluently.  She  kept  a  public  house  by  the  roadside,  and  the  good 
cheer  which  she  always  furnished  made  it  a  place  where  travelers  delight 
ed  to  stop.  The  Indians  informed  us  that  on  the  morning  of  the  9th  of 
October  they  came  in  sight  of  the  house,  where  they  met  some  teamsters 
and  packers,  a  portion  of  whom  they  murdered,  destroying  the  wagons  and 
cargoes,  as  well  as  the  animals,  while  she  was  standing  in  the  door.  As 
soon  as  they  had  murdered  the  people  outside,  they  came  towards  the 
house,  which  was  strongly  built  of  hewn  logs,  and  had  a  heavy  door,  which 
fastened  with  cross  bars.  When  she  saw  them  running  towards  the  house, 
she  shut  the  door  and  dropped  the  bars  to  prevent  their  breaking  in.  They 
came  to  the  door,  and  ordered  her  to  come  out,  and  bring  out  her  little 
girl.  She  said  "  no."  Her  husband  was  absent — and,  by  the  way,  he 
was  the  only  man  on  that  road  who  escaped.  They  said  that  if  she  did 
not  come  out  they  would  shoot  her.  She  declined  ;  and,  after  some  delib 
eration,  they  determined  to  set  the  house  on  fire.  The  house  was  directly 
enveloped  in  flames  ;  and  the  chief,  who  watched  her  through  a  little  win 
dow,  told  us  that  he.  saw  her  go  to  the  glass  and  arrange  her  hair,  then 
take  a  seat  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  fold  her  little  girl  in  her  arms,  and 
wait  calmly  until  tha  roof  fell  in,  and  they  perished  in  the  flames  together. 
And  the  statement  was  confirmed  by  the  people  who  found  their  remains 
lying  together  in  the  middle  of  the  house. 

The  account  of  the  atrocities  perpetrated  upon  Mrs.  Haynes  are  so  hor 
rible  that  I  will  not  relate  them. 

These  volunteers,  sir,  are  the  men  who  defended  us  against  the  Indians, 
who  had  declared  their  intention  of  murdering  every  white  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  the  Territory. 

Mr.  Chairman,  the  settlers  of  Oregon  were  encouraged  to  go  there  by 
the  Government  of  the  United  States.  Congress  passed  an  act  donating 
land  to  all  who  would  go  and  settle  in  Oregon.  Many  responded  to  those 
inducements  held  out  to  go  and  settle  there.  They  went  at  great  sacrifice 
of  comfort,  and  at  great  hazard.  Many  of  them  fell  by  the  hand  of  the 
savage  before  they  reached  that  far-off  country.  But  while  the  Govern 
ment  thus  held  out  inducements  to  the  people  to  go  there  and  settle,  they 
neglected  to  take  the  precaution  to  extinguish  the  Indian  title  to  the  lands. 
That;  however,  was  not  the  fault  of  the  settlers;  it  was  the  fault  of  the 
Government.  The  people  continued  to  be  harassed  by  the  Indians  from 
the  very  commencement  of  the  settlement  up  to  the  great  war. 

These  expenses,  Mr.  Chairman,  were  incurred  in  good  faith,  and  were 
necessary  expenses  in  the  prosecution  of  that  war.  And  I  leave  it  to  this 
committee  to  say  whether  they  shall  be  paid  at  the  same  time  this  good 
man,  Governor  Douglass — the  wealthiest  man  in  that  section  of  country- — 
is  being  paid.  I  have  said  that  Mr.  Douglass  is  the  wealthiest  man  in  that 
section  of  the  country ;  he  is,  and  has  been  for  years,  connected  with  the  Hud 
son's  Bay  Company,  and  was  largely  interested  in  having  the  property  of 
that  company  lying  in  Washington  Territory  protected.  In  that  Territory 


10 

the  company  have  stores,  trading-posts,  herds,  and  flocks,  that  were  pro 
tected  by  our  troops  as  effectually  as  were  those  of  any  of  the  settlers  of 
Washington  or  Oregon.  He  is  to  be  paid,  while  the  citizens  are  left  un 
provided  for.  Their  claims  stand  upon  the  same  footing,  and  ought  to  be 
cared  for  alike.  I  say,  while  you  provide  for  paying  him,  will  you  neglect 
the  people  who  so  nobly  turned  out  to  save  the  settlements  of  Oregon  and 
Washington  from  the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife  of  the  savages  ? 

If  I  had  known  that  I  would  have  had  an  opportunity  to  make  a  speech 
here  to-day,  I  would  have  brought  with  me,  to  read  to  the  House,  the 
memorial  of  Mr.  Beason.  He  happened  to  be  in  our  Territory  at  the  time 
the  war  broke  out,  and  in  the  book  which  he  published  on  his  return  to 
New  York,  he  said  many  hard  things  of  the  people  of  Washington  and 
Oregon.  Since  then  he  has  exercised  his  better  judgment,  and  over  his 
own  signature  he  has  memorialized  Congress  to  pay  the  volunteers  for  ser 
vice  rendered  and  expense  incurred  in  prosecuting  the  war  against  the 
Indians.  None,  save  General  Wool,  (and  to  him  I  do  not  care  now  to 
refer,)  who  at  first  were  opposed  to  the  war,  but  have  recanted  that  opinion. 
They  have  changed  front  on  the  matter,  and  all  of  them  would  now  be 
glad  to  see  the  people  of  Washington  and  Oregon  reimbursed.  It  is  just 
that  they  should  be  paid ;  and  in  their  name,  and  in  their  behalf,  I  beg 
that  while  you  are  providing  for  the  claim  of  Governor  Douglass,  you  will 
also  provide  for  paying  the  people  of  Oregon  and  Washington  for  services 
rendered  and  expenses  incurred.  They  are  as  worthy  as  he,  and  their 
claims  as  just  and  meritorious  as  his.  His  is  a  good  claim,  but  equally  so 
are  theirs. 

There  are  many  things  to  which  I  could  refer,  if  I  had  time,  to  show 
why  it  was  that  the  people  were  compelled  to  take  up  arms  against  their 
savage  foe,  to  endure  hardships,  to  incur  expense,  and  to  peril  their  lives. 
The  southern  portion  of  Oregon  is  rich  in  gold ;  and  millions  of  gold  that 
comes  to  the  Atlantic  States  as  the  product  of  Californa,  is  the  yield  of  our 
Oregon  mines.  Our  people  are  law-abiding,  industrious,  generous,  and 
brave,  and  ought  not  to  be  neglected.  The  settlements  are  sparse,  conse 
quently  helpless,  and  to  a  great  extent  dependent  upon  the  good  will  of 
Congress  for  many  things  which  they  cannot  afford  themselves.  Millions 
and  millions  of  dollars  which  comes  here  as  California  gold,  is,  in  reality, 
gold  from  Oregon,  for  the  benefit  of  our  friends  in  this  portion  of  our  coun 
try.  It  is  not,  therefore,  an  unimportant  or  valueless  Territory.  It  is  also 
rich  in  soil,  and  the  climate  is  as  salubrious  and  as  healthful  as  any  in  the 
world. 

Now,  sir,  from  the  time  the  settlements  were  commenced  in  the  Rogue 
River  valley,  the  Indians  began  their  depredations  upon  the  settlers ;  and 
from  that  time  to  the  end  of  the  late  war  they  did  not  cease  their  course 
of  rapine  and  murder.  I  have  a  statement,  compiled  under  direction  of 
the  Legislative  Assembly  of  Oregon,  which  shows  that  during  the  peace 
and  before  the  breaking  out  of  open  war,  the  Indians  had  killed  two  hun 
dred  and  forty-four  whites.  The  people  made  no  war,  although  there  are 
none  who  will  deny  that  there  was  full  cause  for  war.  Could  more  be 
borne  by  a  Christian  people  ? 

I  have  noticed  the  action  of  Congress  generally,  and  especially  on  ap 
propriation  bills,  for  many  years,  and  find  that  whenever  an  appropriation 
bill  is  up,  based  upon  estimates  of  the  Departments,  it  is  sure  to  pass. 
Congressional  legislation  is  generally  for  the  few.  Nine-tenths  of  the  legis 
lation  here  is  not  for  the  many ;  the  great  mass  of  our  citizens  are  not  cared 


11 

for ;  but  whenever  there  is  a  bill  for  the  regular  army,  navy,  waterworks, 
or  for  a  wealthy  man,  there  is  very  little  difficulty  in  getting  it  through; 
but  when  the  mass  of  the  people  have  a  just  claim  upon  the  Government 
they  are  held  back,  and  justice  is  long  delayed  from  them.  Let  an  appro 
priation  bill  come  here  with  the  sanction  of  the  Committee  of  Ways  and 
Means,  and  members  unite  and  pass  it  at  once.  The  favorite  argument  is, 
"do  not  stop  th«  wheels  of  Government."  "Put  it  through."  Not  so 
with  the  bills  for  paying  claims  of  the  people  against  the  Government. 
Their  claims,  if  unpaid,  will  not  stop  the  wheels  of  Government,  and  they 
remain  neglected.  This  character  of  legislation  seems  not  for  the  benefit 
of  those  who  need  it,  and  to  whom  justice  would  seem  to  demand  that  it 
should  be  given,  but  is  extended  to  the  wealthy  man.  We  here  have  for 
years  turned  our  faces  against  legislating  upon  just  claims,  which  ought  to 
be  considered  and  acted  on.  We  have  allowed  them  to  go  over  year  after 
year ;  and  in  this  case,  if  the  same  course  be  pursued,  when  these  claimants 
shall  get  their  four  dollars  a  day,  it  will  not  be  worth,  to  them,  as  much  as 
one  dollar  would  have  been  at  the  time  the  service  was  rendered.  Delay 
is  to  enable  the  speculator  to  reap  his  harvest — to  prey  upon  the  vitals  of 
our  suffering  people. 

These  claims  ought  to  be  paid,  and  paid  now.  They  have  been  allowed 
by  a  board  of  sworn  commissioners.  -Many  of  these  people,  who  were  com 
fortable  and  well  to  do  before  the  war,  have  now,  having  lost  their  all,  been 
compelled  to  go  out  to  work  by  the  day,  while  their  wives  and  children 
have  had  to  endure  much  hardship.  It  is  for  this  House  to  say  whether 
justice  shall  be  meted  out  to  them  or  be  withheld ;  whether  they  shall  or 
shall  not  be  paid  for  services  rendered  and  expenses  incurred.  Shall  we 
provide  for  Governor  Douglass,  and  leave  the  people  of  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ton  unprovided  for  ?  Shall  we  send  away  the  needy  and  provide  for  the 
wealthy  ?  I  do  not  object  to  Governor  Douglass  ;  I  object  to  the  principle. 
His  claim  ought  to  be  paid.  I  want  now,  and  for  all  time,  to  enter  my 
protest  against  this  sort  of  legislation.  I  want  one  provided  for  as  well  as 
the  other.  I  will  not  make  any  rash  promises ;  but  if  I  had  it  in  my 
power,  there  should  be  no  action  upon  any  appropriation  bill  until  this 
matter  was  considered  and  allowed.  If  Congress  think  the  amount  too 
small,  let  them  increase  it ;  but  I  do  not  ask  them  to  increase,  and  I  trust 
that  they  will  not  reduce  the  claims,  but  take  them  as  allowed  by  the 
commissioners,  two  of  whom  were  army  officers,  who  are  not  more  indul 
gent  to  the  citizens  than  army  officers  ought  to  be.  They  were  just,  and 
are  honorable,  high-toned  men,  and  what  ought  to  be  paid  they  have  al 
lowed,  and  nothing  more. 

Mr.  J.  GLANCY  JONES.  I  wish  to  say  to  my  friend  from  Oregon  that  I 
did  not  vote  to  adjourn  this  House  on  the  7th  of  June  next.  Now,  if 
members  expect  to  get  away  on  that  day,  they  must  set  apart  some  time 
for  the  consideration  and  passage  of  the  appropriation  bills.  If  these  bills 
are  not  passed,  I  will  stand  by  my  friend  from  Oregon  to  July  or  August 
next  to  transact  the  public  business  if  the  resolution  for  the  adjournment 
be  rescinded. 

Mr.  COBB.  I  wish,  just  here,  to  give  notice  that  I  intend,  on  Monday 
next,  to  move  to  rescind  that  resolution. 

Mr.  LANE.  I  only  want  to  say  to  the  committee  that  Congress  ought 
not  to  adjourn  until  they  have  transacted  the  business  for  which  they  have 
been  sent  here.  I  will  not  lecture  the  committee  on  that ;  it  is  not  my 


12 

duty  to  do  so;  but  it  strikes  me  that  Congress  ought,  before  its  adjourn 
ment,  to  transact  the  necessary  business  of  the  country.  Why  is  it  any 
more  necessary  to  pass  appropriation  bills  than  it  is  to  do  justice  to  that 
portion  of  your  defenceless  fellow-citizens,  away  out  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  who  are  scattered  over  a  district  of  country  so  large,  and  so  de 
fenceless,  that  the  savages  can,  at  their  pleasure,  run  in  and  tomahawk  them  ? 
Ought  their  claim  to  be  disregarded  ?  Ought  Congress  to  give  them  the 
cold  shoulder  ?  Ought  gentlemen  to  say  that  the  people  of  Oregon  should 
not  be  paid  for  their  services  and  expenditure  in  the  defence  of  their  set 
tlements?  If  you  continue  to  do  so  for  a  series  of  years,  can  you  expect 
that  the  people  of  Oregon  will  always  maintain  their  devotion  to  this 
Union?  I  know  that  the  people  of  Oregon  place  themselves  upon  the 
Constitution,  and  are  true  to  the  interests  of  every  portion  of  the  Union. 
I  have  never  seen  the  day — I  shall  never  see  it  so  long  as  I  am  an  active 
man — when,  if  the  Northern  portion  of  this  country  were  invaded,  I  would 
not  rush  quickly  to  the  rescue,  and  help  to  expel  the  enemy,  although  that 
enemy  might  be  composed  of  the  combined  forces  of  the  world.  And  so 
I  would  act  if  the  Southern  portion  of  my  country  were  invaded.  My 
affections,  as  also  the  affections  of  the  people  of  Oregon,  rest  upon  the 
whole  country,  and  will  rest  upon  it  for  all  time  to  come.  And  I  ask  you, 
ought  you  not,  in  your  justice  and  wisdom,  to  take  care  of  them  as  your 
people?  Among  the  entire  population  of  that  Territory,  we  have  none, 
save  a  very  few,  who  are  not  American-born  citizens — blood  of  your  blood — 
and  that  few,  Mr.  Chairman,  have  already  become  American  citizens.  The 
country  is  settled  up  with  citizens  from  every  State  in  the  Union — from 
Massachusetts,  New  York,  North  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  every  other  por 
tion.  The  citizens  of  Oregon  are  emphatically  your  people,  and  entitled 
to  your  protection.  Will  not  this  committee  take  care  of  them,  as  this 
bill  proposes  to  take  care  of  my  worthy  friend  Mr.  Douglass?  Will  the 
committee  say  we  will  pay  the  claim  of  this  rich  man,  the  property  of 
whose  subjects  was  defended  by  our  troops,  whose  cattle  and  herds  were 
defended,  whose  stores  were  protected,  and  not  pay  the  citizens  of  the  Ter 
ritories,  who  hazarded  everything  for  the  public  defence? 

I  will  now  yield  the  remainder  of  my  time  to  my  friend  from  Washing 
ton  Territory,  to  give  a  history  of  that  portion  of  the  war  that  passed  under 
his  immediate  observation. 


£-&  i-/ 


SPEECH 

OF 


HON.  ISAAC  I.  STEVENS,  OF  WASHINGTON, 

ON  THE  PAYMENT  OF 

THE  OREGON  AND  WASHINGTON  INDIAN  WAR  DEBT. 


DELIVEKED  IN  THE  HOUSE  OF  KEPRESENTATIVES,  MAY  18,  1858. 

Mr.  LANE,  of  Oregon,  Laving  yelcled  the  floor — 

Mr.  STEVENS,  of  Washington,  said :  It  is  not  my  intention, 'Mr.  Chairman, 
at  this  time,  to  occupy  more  than  ten  minutes  in  discussing  this  bill.  I  will 
state  first,  in  regard  to  it,  that  it  proposes  to  reimburse  Governor  Douglass, 
of  Vancouver  Island,  for  supplies  furnished  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com 
pany,  at  Victoria,  their  post  on  that  island.  I  am  glad  that  such  a  bill 
has  been  brought  before  this  committee  to  pay  for  supplies  furnished  by 
the  people  of  a  foreign  jurisdiction  to  the  suffering  inhabitants  of  Oregon 
and  Washington  Territories,  because  I  can,  and  every  gentleman  here  can, 
refer  to  them  as  witnesses  of  the  condition  of  our  country  at  that  time.  I 
am  glad  to  refer  to  the  fact  that  Governor  Douglass  and  myself  are  per 
sonal  friends.  We  have  often  conferred  in  personal  interviews  and  by  letter, 
in  relation  to  the  measures  requisite  to  defend  the  sparse  population  of  that 
coast.  And  it  is  to  me  a  heartfelt  pleasure,  on  this  floor,  that  I,  as  the  exe 
cutive  of  one  of  those  Territories,  have  his  emphatic  testimony  that  the 
course  taken  in  that  Territory  was  the  only  course  which  could  have  pro 
tected  those  settlements,  or  which  could  have  prevented  their  depopulation. 
And  I  thank  God  that  this  bill  now  before  the  committee  gives  me  the 
opportunity  to  refer  to  this  judgment,  coming,  as  it  does,  from  an  entirely 
disinterested  source. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  will  not  trouble  the  committee  by  going  back  to  the 
old  troubles,  and  trials,  and  conflicts  of  judgment  that  have  taken  place  in 
regard  to  this  war.  It  is  sufficient  for  me  that  I  stand  here  on  the  rock  of 
truth,  and  I  defy  any  man  to  gainsay  my  statements.  I  go  not  now  to  the 
reports  which  speak  of  outrages  of  whites  upon  the  Indians — which  speak 
of  that  war  having  been  forced  upon  us  by  the  bad  conduct  of  our  people, 
and  which  accuse  us  of  getting  up  that  war  for  the  purpose  of  speculation. 
When  I  went  to  that  country,  in  1853,  Mr.  Chairman,  and  traveled  across 
the  plains,  I  visited,  on  my  way  to  Puget  sound,  nearly  every  Indian  tribe 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone  to  the  Pacific  ocean.  When  I  saw 
the  relations  existing  between  the  white  man  and  the  Indians,  I  was  aston 
ished. 

I  was  astonished,  for  I  was  not  a  frontiersman.  I  had,  up  to  that  time, 
seen  nothing  of  Indians,  and  but  little  of  our  frontier  population.  Still  I 
had  a  prejudice  that  there  was  much  of  wrong  in  the  relations  between  the 
two  people ;  but  I  found  that  their  relations  were  those  of  kindness  and  of 
good  offices.  And  here,  in  proof  of  that,  I  will  mention  one  fact.  It  is 


14: 

known  to  gentlemen  that  I  was  the  Indian  superintendent,  as  well  as  the 
executive  of  Washington  Territory.  I  had  frequent  complaints  made  by 
Indians  that  white  men  would  not  pay  their  debts;  and  the  invariable 
course  I  pursued  was  simply  to  address  a  note  to  the  settler,  requesting 
him  to  settle  the  account,  and  it  was  done  in  every  case  brought  to  my 
notice,  except  in  the  case  of  a  single  person,  who  went  off  between  two 
days,  and  who  is  not  now  in  our  Territory.  We  have  got  rid  of  him  ;  and 
his  acts,  therefore,  should  not  inure  to  the  ill  of  the  Territories  of  Wash 
ington  or  Oregon. 

Mr.  Chairman,  the  honorable  gentleman  from  Oregon,  whom  I  am  proud 

to  refer  to  here  as  my  friend,  has  told  you  the  simple  facts  in  regard  to  the 

origin  of  that  war.     I  was  not  in  the  settlements  at  the  time,  but  was 

upon  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri.     The  war  came  upon  the  people  of 

the  Territories  like  a  thunderbolt.     In  our  Territory  there  were  not  at  that 

time  two  hundred  private  arms;  and  we  were  only  able  to  obtain  arms  for 

j  three  or  four  hundred  men  by  borrowing  them  from  the  Decatur,  and  from 

!    the  arsenal  at  Vancouver.     1  refer  to  this  fact  as  conclusive  proof,  showing 

-    how  utterly  unprepared  the  people  were  for  these  Indian  outbreaks. 

I  do  not  intend,  sir,  to  go  into  any  detailed  account  of  this  Indian  war, 
but  I  propose  to  mention  one  or  two  striking  and  significant  facts.  The 
honorable  gentleman  from  Oregon  has  referred  to  me  as  a  witness  in  rela 
tion  to  the  arduous  services  of  the  volunteers  of  Oregon  in  the  interior. 
When  I  heard  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  I  went  over  to  the  settle 
ments  from  the  head  waters  of  the  Missouri  as  fast  as  broken  down  animals, 
and  the  difficulties  of  the  road,  would  enable  me  to  make  my  way.  Com 
ing  through,  it  became  my  duty,  in  regard  to  the  Indian  tribes  that  had 
not  broken  into  war,  to  meet  them,  and,  as  their  father,  being  superinten 
dent  of  Indian  affairs,  to  endeavor  to  persuade  them  to  continue  peaceful. 
I  met  tribes  numbering  some  seven  thousand  souls,  and  having  nearly  two 
thousand  warriors,  and  those  tribes  maintained  their  fidelity  throughout 
the  war.  From  them  I  learned  many  of  the  causes  of  hostility,  and  of  the 
unmitigated  hostility  of  many  of  the  Indian  chiefs.  When  I  met  the 
Oregon  volunteers  on  the  field  of  Walla- Walla,  you  may  be  sure  that  there 
was  a  most  cordial  and  hearty  welcome  between  us.  Sir,  to  those  volun 
teers,  under  Heaven,  I  probably  owe  my  life ;  for  I  had  but  a  party  of 
twenty-five  men  with  me,  and  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  attempt  to  make 
my  way  to  the  settlements.  It  was  the  action  of  these  Oregon  volunteers, 
in  protecting  the  settlements,  that  opened  the  way  for  me. 

What  might  have  been  my  fate  in  fighting  seven  hundred  Indians  with 
a  band  of  twenty-five  men,  increased  to  fifty  as  I  got  near  where  the  hos 
tile  Indians  were,  I  do  not  know.  But  I  conceived  that  it  was  my  duty  to 
get  to  my  post,  and  do  my  best  for  the  suffering  people  of  whom  I  was  the 
executive.  Sir,  I  learned  nothing  of  these  volunteers  till  I  was  making 
arrangements  to  fight  the  hostile  Indians.  The  volunteers  met  the  Indians, 
defeated  them  in  a  signal  battle  that  lasted  four  days,  and  drove  them 
across  the  Snake  river,  thus  opening  the  way  for  my  party.  I  was  with 
them  for  tes  days.  They  consisted  of  the  very  flower  of  the  population  of 
Oregon,  men  of  family,  men  of  substance,  who  had  taken  arms  in  their 
hands  in  order  to  protect  the  people  of  the  two  Territories ;  and  there  they 
were  on  the  cold  ground,  without  tents,  living  on  horse-flesh,  and  without 
proper  clothing,  the  thermometer  ranging  as  low  as  27°  below  zero,  and 
uerer,  for  five  days,  getting  above  zero.  That  is  what  the  volunteers  of 


15 

Oregon  did,  and  I  am  thankful  that  I  can  say  this  for  them  as  a  witness  in 
this  high  presence. 

There  are  one  or  two  other  points  to  which  I  wish  to  allude  briefly. 
During  the  whole  of  that  war  in  the  Territory  of  Washington,  not  a  friendly  \ 
Indian,  or  an  Indian  prisoner,  was  ever  maltreated  in  the  camp  of  the  vol 
unteers  of  Washington.  *  I  say  this  in  the  presence  of  all  men  ;  and  if  any 
one  will  rise  and  gainsay  it,  I  shall  ask  for  the  proof.  For  six  months  the 
people  of  Washington  had  to  live  in  block-houses;  and  yet,  so  obedient 
were  the  people  to  law,  so  proud  of  their  country,  doing  such  high  homage 
to  its  spirit  of  humanity  and  justice,  that  during  all  that  time  the  life  of 
the  Indian  was  sacred  in  the  camp  of  the  volunteers.  Why,  sir,  there 
were  nearly  five  thousand  disaffected  Indians,  during  all  this  time,  on  the 
reservation  lying  along  the  waters  of  the  sound,  and  not  a  man  ever  went 
there  to  do  them  harm.  I  rejoice  in  being  able  to  give  this  testimony,  here 
in  the  presence  of  my  countrymen,  in  regard  to  the  conduct  of  the  people 
of  Washington.  Do  you  wonder,  sir,  that  it  has  caused  to  grow  up  in  my 
heart  the  deepest  and  most  devoted  attachment  to  that  people,  who  have 
held  me  up  in  their  sustaining  arms  in  my  efforts  to  advance  the  public 
service,  and  who  have,  by  their  conduct,  illustrated  its  dignity  and  humanity, 
and  thus  given  a  lesson  to  the  country  and  to  the  world. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  said  all  that  I  desire  to  say  at  this  time.  I  trust  that 
the  same  measure  of  justice  which  the  committee  propose  to  deal  out  to 
Governor  Douglass,  will  be  dealt  out  to  the  people  of  the  Territories  of 
Washington  and  Oregon.  The  debt  in  all  the  cases  rests  upon  the  same 
foundation.  Our  people  furnished  supplies,  and  animals,  and  shipping,  and 
rendered  their  own  services,  on  the  faith  of  the  Government.  Every  obli 
gation  is  made  payable  when  an  appropriation  is  made  by  Congress, 

It  is  germane  to  my  purpose  to  give  one  or  two  facts  in  reply  to  the 
grave  charges  which  have  been  made  against  our  people  of  furnishing  sup 
plies  at  exorbitant  prices.     Now,  sir,  I  have  a  friend,  living  near  Olympia, 
who  sold  a  horse,  to  be  used  for  the  volunteer  service.    When  asked  the  price 
of  his  horse,  he  replied,  that  his  horse  was  worth  sixty  dollars  cash  ;  "  but," 
said  he,  "  to  be  used  for  the  defence  of  our  people,  you  shall  have  the  horse 
for  forty-five  dollars  scrip."     And  the  horse  was  purchased  for  forty-five 
dollars.     And,  generally,  for  a  considerable  period  on  the  sound,  horses 
were  furnished  the   territorial   authorities,   for  scrip,   twenty-five  dollars 
cheaper  than  they  were  sold  to  the  garrison  at  Fort  Steilacoom  for  cash. 
At  the  close  of  this  service  these  animals  were  sold   at  public  sale,  and 
brought  from  ten  to  fifty  per  cent,  above  the  original  cost.     I  recollect  an 
instance  of  a  mule  captured,  and  which  was  rode  by  Captain  Henniss  at 
the  battle  of  Grand  Ronde.     Captain  Henniss  rode  the  mule  home  to 
Olympia,  a  distance  of  nearly  five  hundred  miles.     He  was  desirous  of 
owning  the  mule,  and  so  he  bid  for  it  when  it  was  put  up  at  auction.    But    j 
the  animal  was  struck  off  at  four  hundred   and  seventy-five  dollars  to    / 
another  man,  and  placed  to  the  credit  of  the  Government. .  Captain  Hen-  / 
niss,  who  had  been  a  captain  of  a  company  of  volunteers  for  tl|e  wlaole  war,  / 
a  period  of  some  ten  months,  was  not  able  to  bid  in  his  own  riding  mule.    I 

And  now,  sir,  in  reference  to  property  captured  from  the  Indians  :  it  was  \ 
nevBr  taken  and  kept  by  private  individuals.     Stringent  orders  were  given   \ 
that  all  property  taken  from  the  Indians  should  be  accounted  for  as  public 
property,  and  the  orders  were  strictly  carried  out ;  certainly  in  the  Terri 
tory  of  Washington,  and,  I  believe,  in  Oregon. 

Mr.  Chairman,  you  can,  from  facts  of  this  kind,  learn  something  of  the 


16 

character  of  the  transactions  of  our  people  in  this  war.  It  was,  most  em 
phatically,  a  war  for  our  protection,  and  for  the  existence  of  our  settle 
ments.  And  I  am  thankful  that  it  is  a  war  which  has  left  so  little  sting 
behind  between  the  Indians  and  the  white  settlers  of  the  country.  They 
have  nearly  assumed  their  old  relations.  It  was  not  a  work  of  supereroga 
tion.  It  was  a  work  of  toil,  and  watchfulness,  and  of  constant  exertion,  to 
bring  about  the  old  relations  between  the  whites  and  Indians,  so  that  all 
animosity  might  die  out,  and  a  spirit  of  kindness  and  confidence  prevail, 

Mr.  BRANCH.  The  committee  have  passed  now  some  fifteen  bills,  and 
while  I  am  willing  that  the  remaining  bills  maybe  disposed  of,  if  it  can  be 
done  without  debate,  unless  the  question  can  be  taken  without  further  re 
mark,  I  shall  submit  the  motion  that  the  committee  rise. 

Mr.  FAULKNER.  I  desire  to  make  one  or  two  remarks  before  this  bill  is 
disposed  of.  The  justice  of  this  claim  has  not  been  controverted,  nor  has 
the  propriety  of  its  prompt  payment  been  questioned  by  any  gentleman 
who  has  so  far  addressed  the  committee.  But  the  gentleman  from  Oregon 
(Mr.  LANE)  threw  out  a  remark  which  certainly  ought  to  be  noticed  by 
some  member  of  the  Committee  on  Military  Affairs.  He  would  seem  to 
place  us  in  the  position  of  having  singled  out  a  claim  due  to  a  British  sub 
ject,  and  to  a  man  of  wealth,  while  we  are  represented  as  forgetful  of  the 
demands  of  the  humbler  volunteers  of  Oregon  and  Washington.  This  re 
mark  does  great  injustice  to  the  committee. 

******** 

Upon  this  state  of  facts,  then  made  out  clearly  to  our  satisfaction,  we 
did  not  hesitate  to  report  the  bill  for  his  relief.  It  was  a  claim  about  which 
there  could  be  no  controversj'-.  Its  justice  was  universally  conceded.  We 
have  not,  as  yet,  had  time  to  examine  into  the  great  mass  of  these  claims 
which  have  been  referred  to  us,  and  to  which  the  Delegates  from  Oregon 
and  Washington  have  alluded,  but  design  to  give  them  a  fair  and  impartial 
investigation  at  the  earliest  moment.  I  have  not,  so  far,  expressed  any 
opinion  myself  in  regard  to  the  validity  of  these  claims  against  the  Govern 
ment,  except  that  which  incidentally  fell  from  me  in  the  discussion  on  the 
army  bill,  in  which  I  expressed  the  opinion  that  the  report  of  the  board 
might;  be  regarded  as  an  award  made  under  the  authority  and  with  the 
full  sanction  of  the  Government,  and  binding  upon  it.  I  incline  to  that 
opinion  still ;  yet  this  is  a  point  which  I  shall  reserve  for  a  more  full  ex 
amination  of  the  cases,  when  taken  up  in  the  committee. 

The  bill  was  laid  aside  to  be  reported  to  the  House,  with  the  recom 
mendation  that  it  do  pass. 


